Between the Shadow and the Soul
by feisu-chan
Summary: Because even when he grew up to be the demon who'd ruin her life, she was drawn to him. And even when he was the demon who ruined her, he'd learn how to fix her - even when it meant bringing her along to hell. "I love you as certain dark things are to be loved ...in secret, between the shadow and the soul."
1. Persephone

**Between the Shadow and the Soul**

* * *

><p><em>Because even when he grew up to be the demon who'd ruin her life, she was drawn to him. And even when he was the demon who ruined her, he'd learn how to fix her - even when it meant bringing her along to hell. ...In secret, between the shadow and the soul.<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter I: Persephone<strong>_

* * *

><p>Was it the rain, or the way his lips moved with hers? Or the light that blended in with her tear-stained eyelids? How was he able to make her come undone?<p>

Once again.

What was it with him, always, always making her resolve waver? Hadn't he tried to kill her twice? Thrice, to date? And yet, she clung to him like a drug. But why was he here, every time the moon was full, or when the sky was dark. Or just when he felt it on a whim.

Had she, too, became a drug that intoxicated him to the point of forgetting the cruel life his own life had come to? Or was that just her own heart whispering it to his?

It had been two months since he started visiting her, months since he had acquired a new set of eyes, months since the start of the Shinobi War and she was living in a makeshift camp. He had followed her in an attempt to ambush the squad, but she caught him alone.

They fought; she tricked him and drained him off his chakra. But just when she was about to turn him over to the Alliance, he made her falter again, in a heated argument resulting that unexpectedly escalated to passionate murmurs. Since then, a sinful yet senseless rendezvous was pursued.

No matter how much she convinced herself this was wrong, she'd go back to it. Heck, she even showed him a safe backdoor passage to her room, and a good time to visit. And he'd see her time and time again. Someday, she knew, he'd really be her downfall.

But wasn't he already one? Her friends have been fighting the war for so long, and yet she was here, with him, night after night.

He was a monster who crept to her bedroom window when everyone was sleeping. And she was the girl who'd always, always choose hell.

Persephone.

She had tasted pomegranates of the Underworld and longed for it. For when hell would feel this good on her lips and on her skin, and when hell could kindle a raging fire on her blood, who wouldn't want to stay?

Then again, her conscience continued to bother her. "Why do you come, Sasuke?" she would ask. "What is it that you want?"

"Does it matter?" he would reply, as he resumed playing with her hair. And always he would say nothing more. In the end, her descend to his realm of darkness would always leave her in a bliss.

This time, he kissed her even deeper; his touch left a trail of burns to her soul. And Sakura felt the heavens wept for her downfall. The raindrops that clung to Sasuke's hair and to his shirt were singeing her in icy cold. Her only consolation was the heat of his hand and of his tongue.

And the gods grieved even more when he asked her what she had always wanted to hear. "Let's go, Sakura. Let's leave everything behind."

For she had thought little of her friends and of the war and of the lives she could have saved; and on a whim, she answered, "Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>New fic! :) This is a prologue for my new project. And this was a prompt submitted in one of the photo prompt (Will post photo as my new FF pic) challenges in SasuSaku-Month at LJ before the actual SSMonth began. I can't stop thinking about it, so I decided to polish it as a new series. I hope you'll like it. It'll feature this evil side of Sasuke, and I'm actually excited about it.

Don't worry, my old readers, _Of Waiting _will be published side by side with this (will publish new chap after this).

Title Reference and last sentence in summary: A passage from **Sonnet XVII** by **Pablo Neruda**

Enjoy!~ Tell me what you think! :3

Disclaimer: Standard Naruto Disclaimer applies.


	2. She Came Undone, In Little Words He Said

_**Chapter 2: She came undone, in little words he said**_

* * *

><p>He was leaning on the wall beside the window, already draped in his cloak after another bout of passion. With very little effort, he was able to convince her to run away. And this time, however, he wasn't looking at her with intensity as he did just minutes ago; instead he was looking warily out the window.<p>

Neither did he utter a word, not even a grunt or a 'hn'. He was just there, silent, and looking outside, as if contemplating. Was he sure about this? Was he having any reservations? Was she?

It was still raining pretty hard outside.

Haruno Sakura hurriedly stuffed her things in a duffel bag. Her scrolls, her medic kit, five pairs of clothes, basically what was found in that little cabinet on the corner of her makeshift bedroom in this little makeshift camp. Sasuke had said not to bring much.

They were housed in a two-storey apartment that Captain Yamato created before he was captured. It was the emergency area, a few meters away from the medic tents erected for first-aid and minor procedures. Tight security was all over the place to prevent any more infiltration of Zetsu impostors. Still, she found him a way to come around.

"What's your plan?" she asked, wanting to know whether his silence was a good thing, or something she should be cautious of. Why, in the first place was he asking her to run away? Had he forgotten his revenge? Or did she make him? Her insides fluttered at the thought of her possible influence on him. She wished with all her heart it was so.

But was it worth it? To leave her life, her profession, her friends, this war all to be with him? Was he worth it?

Sasuke slightly turned his head towards her, and answered, "We'll just go somewhere far from here. Start anew."

"Like, elope?" she spoke, very softly, as she shifted her eyes to her fiddling hands.

"Aa," he replied, minutes after; also returning his gaze back to the window.

She willed herself not to break into a grin, or flush her face with pink. She didn't want to appear silly in front of him, over this.

Either way, as she touched her lips and tingle at the thought of his hands gently holding her; as she fancy an unknown future with him just a few hours from now, she knew. Deep down, she knew it was all worth it.

Sakura took a last check up on her bag, zipped it and slung it over her shoulders. "Sasuke, I'm ready."

He moved away from the window and walked over to her. He took her bag and slipped it inside his coat to keep it from getting wet from the rain, then pulled her hood over her head. She smiled at his gesture; he was placid.

"It's now or never, Sasuke. No turning back."

He simply smirked, "Aa. No turning back." Indeed. And with one final pull for courage, she reached out and tiptoed for a kiss. To which he returned, with equal fervor. But before they get carried away again, like usual, he whispered in between breaths.

"Aren't you leaving any note?"

"Note?"

"Telling them about this?"

"Should I?" she asked, not really thinking about doing so earlier.

"Maybe you should. Otherwise, they'd think you were kidnapped. You don't have to tell them you're with me, or where you're going. Just tell them you're leaving."

She was hesitant of making one, because that'd mean she'd really have to say goodbye. But eventually, she tore a page from one of her notebooks and scribbled as legibly as she could. Although there was nothing she could say, without having to break a tear, so she simply wrote down: "I'm Sorry…" finalized with her signature.

She left it at the middle of the bed and walked to the door. "Let's go."

Indeed, she knew the consequences this action entailed. Once she stepped out that door, she'd turn her back on everything and everyone else. The point of no return.

As the other opened the door and cautiously walked through the empty corridor, Sasuke, on the other hand, swiftly removed his bandages on his left wrist, in turn exposing the seals for summoning his tools, and deliberately left it on her table. Soon after, he followed Sakura down the hall.

* * *

><p>They made it out of the building with incredible stealth, and in less than fifteen minutes, they were half a mile away. Sakura was about to continue further up the steep gorge, deep in the canyon they were in, when Sasuke led her to the opposite path they shouldn't be going.<p>

"Hey, Sasuke, that's towards the village," she warned.

"I know," was his cryptic answer. "Come on."

Left with no choice, she followed him as they passed through more canyons and a thin patch of trees. They'd been running for almost half an hour now, and through the darkness, Sakura could see faint flickers of light. They must be near the village; though, there were only a few who refused to evacuate despite a war nearby, and stayed instead. The lights became more solid now, despite the thick curtain of rain ahead of them; and before they reach the first house, Sasuke turned left, towards a lone house in the middle of a small farm isolated from the rest of the village.

"What's up?" she asked, as soon as they both stopped in front of the barn. He opened the gates hurriedly, making screeches as he did. Sakura deemed the house must be empty, given the darkness surrounding it and Sasuke's lack of caution.

Once the door of the barn was unlocked, a rickshaw was parked in front of them, a rickshaw as large as a trailer. Up front were two long poles extending from a single-seater. Behind it was a carriage enclosed in thick, white waterproof canvas.

As soon as he had checked on the trailer, he went outside. Soon after, there was neighing beside him.

"What is this, Sasuke? A getaway vehicle?" she inquired, dumbfounded. He blankly stared back, before attaching the reins of the horse to the poles.

Before she could ask him about it again, he finally answered. "We'll use this to move out."

"Why? We're shinobi, we don't need horses."

"Everything we need is inside." Curiosity led her to inspect what this genius had in store inside. What she saw, however, took her breath away. There were futons, blankets, baskets of fruits and vegetables. Just near the entrance at the back of the carriage were three bulks of firewood and cooking pans. Coats and clothes were neatly packed, too. Everything, indeed, was inside.

It was their new home.

"Sasuke! Did you prepare for this?"

"Aa," he coolly replied, in contrast to her awe-struck expression.

"B-but, what if I declined?"

He stopped short at what he was doing with the horse, "Would you?" And there was something about the way he had said it that made Sakura cringe in humiliation and sadness. Would she, now?

She knew the answer would always be _no_. And she cursed herself for the weakness she had always have for him, and she cursed him for always seeing through her as though he knew her more than she knew herself.

"Oh," was all she could say; and she turned around to hide her bitter face.

Moments later, he asked her to ride at the back while he would rein the horse. "We will be travelling as civilians; there are clothes inside for you. Dry yourself and shed out of your shinobi clothes. From here on out, we leave the life of a ninja."

He said it again in the most convincing way, and it continued to strike her with awe that even after everything Sasuke had been through, he was willing to forget everything behind and start over. Start his life over, with no one else but her.

Who wouldn't be tempted with such a proposition? She'd have him, away from all the hatred and death that had once determined their destinies. From now on, they'd live in peace, and maybe soon after, love.

Such were the thoughts of a woman in love. Vulnerable, silly and always, always optimistic. She couldn't stop herself from beaming such a sweet, dreamy smile as she got inside their trailer – _their new home_ – and anticipated a whole new life with Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

><p>"Now, where on earth is Sakura? Didn't anybody wake her up yet?" Shizune yelled in the midst of a busy emergency room. Just minutes earlier, there was an explosion at the site where the ambush squad were about to infiltrate the suspected hideout of Akatsuki. There were snake skins found around and about the area; and they believed it was from Kabuto's snakes.<p>

Looked as though it was a trap then. Dozens of shinobi were taken in to the emergency room for treatment, including the squad captain Kankuro and Konoha's Sai.

"She's not in her room, Shizune-senpai!" One of the medics answered.

"Then find her! We need her here or we'd be losing a handful of ninjas in just a night!" Everyone was scuffling about; it was a messy sight with blood and torn gauzes and broken shinobi all around. The medical team was dashing through a maze of hospital beds and strechers, trying to heal as much shinobi as they could at a time.

"I don't think we'd find her anywhere near, Shizune-san," said an ANBU who appeared in a puff of smoke just beside the team leader. Shizune turned to see what the ANBU meant, and on his hand were Sakura's handwriting and a bandage.

"What's that?"

"Haruno Sakura left," the ANBU stated as a matter-of-factly, as he turned the letter to reveal Sakura's letter and the insignia at the edge of the bandage.

"Uchiha?" she gasped, seeing the infamous crest embroidered on the dirty white bandage. "Did he capture Sakura?" She knew it wasn't something like that. But she could only believe that at the moment, deliberately forgetting Sakura's apology in the letter that the ANBU held out.

"No, Shizune-san. She left with Uchiha Sasuke. We will be ordering a team to search for her the soonest possible time, and sanctions shall be imposed upon accordingly."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Thank you for your dear reviews... :) I hope I could still contain your interest on this fic. I'm really looking forward to it. And, school's out, so hopefully I could get to write as much! Thank you, **GoldenDoe** and **Galbert-kun** for being my avid readers... :)

Enjoy~ :3


	3. Twas A Big Mistake To Let Me

_**Chapter 3: 'Twas a big mistake to let me memorize your face**_

* * *

><p>There was still a doubt in Shizune's mind that Sakura would do something like this. But what else could explain the presence of Uchiha's bandage in her room? She wouldn't keep something as unsterile as such, would she? And the note. Clearly, it was Sakura's writing, but with Sharingan eyes, Sasuke could have copied her handwriting and wrote it himself.<p>

Shizune was able to construct a couple of theories and possible alibis in a span of seconds, but she knew that Sakura would not betray the Alliance; more importantly, leave them in the middle of the war for Naruto, someone Sakura had love as her own brother. Her initial plan of action, Shizune decided, was to protect Sakura.

"ANBU," she called out, before the high-tiered ninja in white robe and bird mask disappeared. "This information is classified only to the Hokage. The Alliance should not know about this just yet." The ANBU nodded and went on.

She waited for a few minutes and asked another medic to fill in for her in the meantime. Inside her office, unmindful of the scattered boxes of medicines and supplies, Shizune formed seals to call forth the Hokage's summon, only this time it wasn't in its full growth.

"Oh my! Is there a problem, Shizune-san, for you to be summoning me all of a sudden?"

"Katsuyu-sama, please send a message to Tsunade-sama. Also, search for Sakura and follow her."

* * *

><p>It was nearing sunrise, she could hear the earth coming to life in preparation for the new day. They had been travelling for almost two hours; and she deemed, at the rate they were going, they had only covered halfway towards the border.<p>

"Sasuke, where are we now?" she asked, again, as she was sitting at the back of the trailer near the small opening for the front seat.

"Still in the same country, Sakura. Go to sleep."

_I can't._ Had they travelled on foot, they would have reached the border and had been way past it. But, no. Sasuke just had to insist them travelling on a horse and a trailer. Being a kunoichi, she couldn't stand such long journeys; she was bound to think a lot, stress on things a lot, and worry a lot. And of course, she couldn't sleep on all of this.

Instead, she crawled to a basket of fruits and bread, and made herself a sandwich. It was rather troublesome to be slicing tomatoes and spreading liverwurst while her makeshift table and herself were bouncing through this horrible road.

_Stupid Sasuke and his stupid horse. _Really, a shinobi's foot was a better transportation than any other. Then again, each time Sakura glanced to her sides and all about, wherein she could see everything she could ever need in a month, her heart leapt in disbelief and astonishment that he would put a lot of effort in this, for her.

He had left everything behind, he had prepared their escape. What else would he be willing to give up? For this, for her.

Timidly, she took two more slices of loaf from the basket and laid it out in front of her, and generously stacked it up with tomatoes and liverwurst and jerky and bits of apple to make it tasty. Once satisfied, she went back to that place where only a plank separated him and her.

"Here," she said, as she reached out the small opening to give his sandwich.

"I said, go to sleep."

"I'm hungry. Here, just take it and eat." Eventually, he took his food. She didn't wait for him to say his thanks or even compliment her on how delicious the sandwich was. She knew he'd rather bite his tongue off than utter words of humility. The Uchiha pride was reeking in his very pores and veins. But, little did the Uchiha know that Sakura could see through his fortress of pride and ego and his little gestures screamed thoughtfulness that pampered her heart.

For that, she would compensate for his lack of gratitude, and she would forever show her gratefulness in all those little things he did for her. Still, to Sakura, for him to choose her to spend a new life with was something she would have to be grateful for even on the next life.

She never had viewed herself as the woman blinded by his first kiss, his first touch, his first caresses which came after the very attempts to kill her. Instead, she was the woman whose love for dark things had salvation after all, a woman reaping the seeds of devotion to a man of hell. And she would like to believe that she had changed him.

Thus, the thought had calmed her and she drifted slowly to sleep. But before she could get into a deep slumber, the carriage suddenly shifted to a full stop; so sudden that the piled trunks fell down and she was pushed back to the wall by sheer force.

"Stay there," was what she last heard him say; and just seconds after, the sound of metal replaced the horse's neighing. Clearly, they were under attack. But by whom? Sakura peeked at the small opening behind her, but Sasuke was no longer on the seat.

"Katon!" she heard Sasuke shout, though just seconds after, the attacker countered a Suiton.

"A ninja!" Hurriedly, Sakura scampered to the exit; but as she opened the door, an ANBU, in a cat mask and white robe, was standing in front of her, about to open the door as well.

"Sakura-san! You're fine! We were sent by the Hokage to bring you back," declared the ANBU.

"I, uh…" She was, however interrupted by a loud screech and then a roar that came from where Sasuke was fighting. Sakura and the shinobi ran to the source of the noise. There they saw Sasuke and another ANBU clashing elbows and kunai. The Uchiha already had his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan activated, and the attacker created columns of whirlpools as high as the sky. For now, Sasuke could only evade.

"Let's go!" The ANBU grabbed her hand and dragged her away; but in confusion, she pushed him. "Sakura-san, we need to go!"

"Go? What exactly are you here for?"

"Tsunade-sama sent us to rescue you, of course!" And as if on cue, another roar was generated from the battlefield. When Sakura looked back, horror struck her. Susano'o was towering over them, ready to aim a ball of black fire to the ANBU sitting helplessly on the ground opposite the giant. Sasuke was mightily standing within the ghastly fortresses of the summon, looking down on the fallen shinobi in front of him.

"Senpai!"

"Sasuke! Stop it!" This was the second time for her to witness one of Sasuke's eye techniques, with the first one during their reunion after Danzo's death, almost a year ago. That time, however, she only got a short glimpse of it; but now, and with his new pair of eyes, Susano'o was a staggering monster, a violet humanoid as dark as the night winning over the setting sun. The descriptions in the books she had read from the restricted sections of Konoha's library were none compared to a complete form she was now seeing in the flesh. Truly, it was majestic as the god it was named after.

There were only one shinobi documented to have had awakened this ability, none other than Uchiha Madara. But Sakura believed Itachi had his own, of course, though it was never written down. And now, Sasuke valiantly displayed it for her to see and for him to finally end the life of this Konoha ninja.

But it was overkill, Sakura thought. For him to be using this so early in the battle, then he must be in a hurry to end it, and with clear intentions of killing. "Stop it!" Sakura repeated, as she ran to them. Sasuke didn't have to kill him, there's no need for them to have blood against their hands. She wouldn't allow it!

She was a meter away from Sasuke when the other ANBU suddenly pinned her down from behind. "Let go!"

"Sakura-san! We have strict orders to keep you safe."

"I won't be coming back! Don't you understand? I fled, now get off me!"

"What? Then senpai's assumptions were true!" Their attentions were once again diverted back to the horrific scene in front of them as Sasuke finally struck the Amaterasu ball, which was now taking the form of an arrow in mid-air, with amazing precision towards the head of the ANBU.

"No!"

"No! Senpai! Uchiha, you bastard!" In moments, the bird mask fell from the ninja's face and the head was rapidly consumed by the black flames of hell.

"Turn it off, Sasuke! Now!" cried Sakura, as she squirmed away from the shinobi pushing her down and approached the burning remains of the dead ninja. He did deactivate the Susano'o, and even dissipated the raging fire as Sakura got near.

"God damn you!" the cat-masked ANBU shouted, forming seals as he ran towards Sasuke. "Raiton! Shichuu Shibari!" Four pillars of rocks sprung from the ground on all corners around the Uchiha, and simultaneously, plasma of lightning surrounded him like a cage.

Sasuke could only smirk. "What a grave mistake the Hokage did sending a lightning type to kill me," he chuckled as he unsheathed his neglected sword and outstretched his hand to gather the electrostatic forces all about.

"Chidori Nagashi!" he ordered, without even forming seals, as how he had learned it from his dead master Orochimaru. Granted, the lightning bolts that were supposedly manipulated to attack him gathered around Sasuke instead, and formed currents to smite the cat-masked ANBU.

But the ANBU was planning to give the Uchiha a decent fight, even if it would cause him his life. Hence, his kunai was taken out from his holster. He was a master of blades, being top-notched in the whole ANBU squad. The demised ANBU Captain just a few meters away from them did a wise decision of choosing him as his partner for this mission. The Hokage had called for the rescue of the prized medic-nin; but it had confused him for a while why his senpai had asked him to join him, given that it was rare to have two captains in a rescue mission. He only realized it was probably necessary because it was Uchiha Sasuke they were up against, and of course this mission was about the Hokage's apprentice herself.

Now, he mused that his senpai had been right after all. Haruno Sakura indeed ran away with the Uchiha; and now, he deemed that his participation in this mission was also to employ Plan B if need be. His senpai had not laid this out yet but now he finally realized it. Two captains in a mission; it was none other than to eliminate missing-nin Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Had he known this beforehand, he would have killed the kunoichi when he had all the chances.

For the moment, however, he had to battle it out with the infamous international criminal and Konoha's rookie genius once upon a time. With a kunai held out in front of him, he molded chakra and concentrated it onto his blade. That was his special technique. He could use any weapon, and make it a chakra blade.

The ANBU gallantly countered every lightning bolt thrown at him; when electric discharge from the Uchiha's Chidori Nagashi hit him, his cells would relax instead to prevent immobility. He had moved forward, only a kunai on hand. Sasuke wielded his katana and thrust it at the opponent. The ANBU was almost as quick as Sasuke that he was able to block the blade with his own, and even grabbing hold of Sasuke's wrist. He noticed the other's eyes were still whirling with doujutsu; he then should finish off this battle before Sasuke could activate another technique that could easily kill him.

In another swift motion, he turned his hand to take control of the sword and thrust his own kunai into the Uchiha's abdomen.

"Ack!" Sasuke yelped in pain as the kunai went deeper. On the other hand, Sakura looked up from inspecting the already dead ANBU. She was looking for ways to save him, but it seemed as though there were none. Of course, a flame arrow darted straight on the head followed by burns from none other than Amaterasu, death was inevitable. Still, Sakura had hoped it was otherwise for she could not fathom the burden of a life taken away in the wake of her elopement with a traitor. She had already left a handful back in camp to suffer because of her absence; another death by their own hands was too much.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted; and this time, it had surprised Sakura how Sasuke was easily unarmed and even stabbed when just earlier he was basking in the glory of his Susano'o.

_He must be exhausted!_ she thought in panic. Sakura saw the ANBU raising his other hand to strike Sasuke with the katana, while still stabbing him with the kunai. Before the sword hit Sasuke's heart, Sakura threw a shuriken, aiming it to the reflex point on the ANBU's wrist with ease. As she had expected, the hand was paralyzed; and yet, the other continued to drive the kunai deep into Sasuke's stomach.

Sasuke was now writhing in pain, already kneeling to the ground. The ANBU kicked him down to his side and used his own knees against Uchiha's neck, suffocating him this time.

"S-sakura!"

Hurriedly, she wore a glove on one hand and lit it with chakra. Her other hand withdrawn two senbon from the dead ANBU's holster, for hers had been left inside the trailer, leaving only one kunai to carry. She scatted towards the two and stabbed the senbon at two points on his nape to initiate drowsiness, and the gloved hand threatened to slit up the ANBU's throat.

"Move away, Haruno Sakura, or I will crush his neck."

"Yeah, I can fix that. But crush it and I will cut yours off!" However, the ANBU seemed to be unfastened by her threats and continued applying pressure to hurt Sasuke. The latter was now spitting blood, both due to the serious bleeding of his abdomen and to suffocation. She saw his difficulty in breathing now; she needed to step up before this man could do something that could irrevocably damage Sasuke.

Sakura's free hand formed a fist and aimed at his head, but the ANBU was faster. He removed the kunai dug into Sasuke and quickly stabbed at Sakura's ribs. She screamed at the sudden attack, and on impulse, her hand that was glowing with chakra moved against the ANBU's neck. This jutsu was as sharp as a scalpel, and as accurate as a bullet. It was also too deadly that Sakura had cut a large trunk of artery that connected directly to his heart.

The ANBU in cat mask and white robe was now dead; in turn, they were out of danger save for the injuries they had sustained. Sakura could only watch as the man dropped dead to the ground and littered the grass with his fresh blood. Nausea rushed over her as she looked over one of Konohagakure's top ANBU die at her very feet, by her very own hands. Her own pain was insignificant as guilt was eating her alive.

Beside her, Sasuke tried to stand and aid Sakura away, and limped into the trailer. She was clearly distraught.

"It was necessary, Sakura. We have decided upon this path and there are sacrifices entailed."

"I know that," she coldly replied.

"Hn."

"It's just that, they didn't have to die."

"We don't have a choice; they were here to kill us."

Sakura closed her eyes. Indeed, she knew this was what they were here for but, "No, Tsunade-shishou sent them to rescue me."

He scoffed. "Really? Now why would they send just two ANBU for a rescue mission? Two ANBU captains." She peeked out a little enough to see the two ninja lying on the ground. He was right. They were wearing white coats. In Konoha, ANBU captains wore white coats; and two ANBU captains on a mission means assassination. Did Konoha really dispatch these two high-ranking shinobi to kill her? Just a matter of hours since her escape? With no due process?

She exhaled heavily, what else did she expect? She betrayed her allies in times of war, who wouldn't do what the Hokage had ordered?

"I'm sorry this has to happen."

The situation at hand, however, was diverted as she suddenly shifted her head back to him. "What did you say?"

But in response, the Uchiha just narrowed his eyes. "Clean yourself up, Sakura." Then he moved out.

"Baka! Come back here, I'd have to heal you, too!"

"Aa. I'd have to rein the horse first." She heard him say. That might be a proper thing to do first since the horse had been almost ballistic with all the violence going about. Silently, she covered her chakra-filled hand over her stab wound. It was quite deep, but nothing her expertise couldn't handle. Sasuke's was a lot more serious. And yet, he had to look after her and then the horse first. She was still in grief, but more with guilt.

It was the life she chose. She was now a nukenin, and her life would now be forever on the run. She had just killed a comrade for him. She had killed someone for him. This was the life she chose. A life with him, submitted to him, always for him. As the dawn broke, they now shared a destiny in darkness and together they would live in it with only their own light to guide them through.

Outside, Sasuke tried to use very little energy to calm the horse and check for any other things that might be amiss. After, he activated his Sharingan once more, having it canceled when the ANBU had taken control of his neck. He absently ran his hand over his throat to check the damage as his eyes scouted the bushes just near the forest. He knew it had been there since the attack began, for he had seen it with his omnipotent orbs; maybe even long before the attack and it had been following them, though he wasn't sure. But he left it alone, and he knew it was still there watching them.

It had witnessed the whole fight, he thought, and it had already served its purpose. Now, Sasuke focused on the slug observing them from behind the bushes, and darted Amaterasu. Once the clone slug was dispelled, he willed the dark flames to vanish.

It did; and in turn the original summon learned of the accounts in that forest. The Hokage was aggrieved, friends were in disbelief, a brother and a teacher were confused yet felt mixed emotions, and nations were thrown in disarray.

That day, it was pronounced that Haruno Sakura was a missing-nin and an international criminal for treason and murder of a high-ranked shinobi.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Chapter Title Reference: a line from the song _Second Star to the Left, Go Until Dawn_ by COPELAND

Thank you all for the love! :3 Enjoy!


	4. Breathe Lies of Sugarcoats and Heartbeat

_**Chapter 4: Breathe Lies of Sugarcoats and Heartbeats**_

* * *

><p>She was weak, a kunoichi who trained under the Hokage and the famed Copy Ninja. She lamented for the death of her enemies, and cried over the loss of the trust of her friends. She had turned her back on all of them with just a kiss from him, and yet now she longed for them.<p>

But he knew she was weak, a woman whose heart chose to love and to trust in a world of deception and hatred. And to love only the man whose hands were tainted with blood that blackened his heart. Weak, stupid, pathetic.

He knew that when he held her hand, she'd forget them. When he leaned and whispered to her ears, she closed her eyes and smiled. As he touched her lips and traced her bones, she quiver and clung to him. Finally, when they kissed, she lay bare and wilt in his arms. And it was all he had to do to keep her tears away. Blind her in a senseless daze she called love, and then she'd lost all her grief.

She was Haruno Sakura, his new entertainment. His unintended whore.

She should have died by his sword, but he was glad she didn't. For she served him well with hellish pleasure time and time again. He had her under his control; yet little did he know that whenever they start, he himself got lost in her scent, in her hair, in her breath.

As Sakura responded to every touch, kiss, tongue, his fingers stroke her hair in a foolish attempt to hold back. His palm felt the grooves of her spine and he bit his inner cheek to resist melting with her. Little by little, his resolve wavered; grasping for her shoulders for support never really helped for her skin was ridiculously smooth, he leaned forward to taste it.

The confined space of their trailer couldn't restrain them; instead, their frustration that piled up due to restricted movements only made them crave for more. He nestled in her neck, loving the furrows that formed with her clavicle as she hitched a breath. It was that part of her body his teeth had grown accustomed to. He bit her bone, then she struggled to muffle a moan. In retaliation, she dug her nails deep into his skin, and nibbled his earlobe to revert the pain.

Their carnal play could go on for hours until they'd forgotten dinner or unknowingly waited for the sun. Her back had fresh scars from abrasive tree trunks, and his kneecaps had bruises from rails. It was a far cry from their limited rendezvous time, now they had each other all to themselves any time of the day.

She was his sweet devil; she taught him lust amidst war and revenge. In lust, he let himself go; he thought of her, then he'd want her. She should've died by his sword; he hesitated, though in return he was rewarded with pleasure. He wanted her, wanted her. The soft feel of every bit of her, that raspy voice as she called out his name, needing him. Gods, he wanted her.

She was his unintended whore.

Sasuke's solace for his unquenchable hatred and thirst for blood. A gift from the shadows; and with it, he let the Rivers of the Underworld flow through her, violate her, mark her as his own. And once his work here was done, he'd walk away talking only memories of her. He'd see her again in hell, once his time was up.

* * *

><p>In normal days, they were normal couples. Like husbands and wives, living like nomads. It had been more than a week since the ambush of Konoha ANBU, yet they were still hundreds of kilometers from a destination. They had stalled their travel, stopping in hidden landscapes and enjoying the earth and each other.<p>

Sasuke said a cliff by the sea would be a nice place to stay, away from all the rugged terrain and trees and leaves they were all used to.

"And where might that be?" she once asked.

"Where this road ends somewhere," he shrugged.

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

"Aa." And she went back to leaning on his shoulders as he whipped the reins of the horse.

When the pace was too slow, she'd always nag him to get the horse moving.

"Some genius you are choosing a horse," she would usually start. But he'd keep silent and carry on. She'd stop talking too, at some point, but she'd annoy him with her tapping or unrhythmical humming.

"Stop it."

"You have a giant bird, don't you?"

"A hawk."

"Yes, a hawk, a bird, a giant kangaroo," she rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter as long as it flies."

"You're annoying."

"If only you had thought of using that instead of this, Sasuke-_kun_, we could have travelled around the world by now."

"And who would carry all these?" he retorted, humoring himself.

"We don't really need all of it."

"Aa. You say that now."

Irritated with the laidback attitude she was not used to seeing from him, she leaned and snatched the reins from his hands. "I'll teach you speed, baka. Seriously, for an international criminal to be sluggishly travelling…."

She continued mumbling; he stopped listening and finally gave in. Sure, Haruno Sakura would bend to Uchiha Sasuke's fingers; lay everything on the line for him. But one thing he had not anticipated, nor even expected ever, was her feisty attitude he had only seen her doing to Naruto back when he was with them.

Sometimes, she acted as though she was the sweetest person; at times, she openly showed her irritation when he did things she didn't approve of. If he had abducted her, or threatened her, would she show her fear, instead? Would she be obedient like a captive should be?

He was tempted to do that, as a matter of fact, but he didn't know why he wasn't able to.

Could it be that Sakura had lost her fascination and infatuation over him, and it was only lust for him that drove her in need of him?

He scoffed inwardly. Of course not. She wouldn't be so easily manipulated into agreeing with this elopement. She was still as hopelessly in love with Sasuke as before – and perhaps even more. Sakura might've just lost her childish trait of worshipping him in a pedestal, and she now saw him as his equal.

That's annoying. Sasuke watched her mumble beside him – still complaining about the horse – through the corners of his eyes. He pitied her. She might be a changed woman now, stronger and more confident than how he remembered her, yet she was still stupid. Loving a person who couldn't – wouldn't – love you back; loving a criminal, no less, who wouldn't think twice of killing anyone, including you. A person in the right mind would have given up – leaving only remorse toward the other.

But she was different. She rejoiced in his presence and longed to cleanse his darkness, in spite of him. She was utterly stupid.

Although, somewhere in his soul, he was thinking otherwise.

* * *

><p>Another week went by and the air now tasted like salt. The vast landscape changed to floodplains, river mouths and the anticipated sea. As the carriage drove across the undisturbed limestone, the ocean glittered to welcome them.<p>

She held her breath; he was calm. The sea spray was soothing, and the wind tempted them to fall asleep.

"It's beautiful," he heard her whisper. It took a while until she had absorbed everything her eyes could see and finally turned to him. "Where do you suppose we could build a house?"

Sasuke didn't miss the fluster on her cheeks and the twinkle in her eyes. Clearly, she was excited; and he could only pity her with disgust.

"There's a shack somewhere on that cliff. We can stay there and develop it," he answered, returning his eyes back on the road.

"You've been here before?"

"Aa. I travelled here once with Taka." Near the cliff was the cave where Madara took him to reveal the truth about his brother. Of course, he didn't need to tell her that.

"Oh. Taka." She fell silent. Then, again, she started, "Was the journey memorable that you wanted to come back and live here?"

He paused to think about her question, "Aa. You could say that."

"That's… nice." Sasuke knew where she was trying to point the conversation to, and he could sense her hesitation to inquire further.

They continued on with silence, and it took them almost two hours to reach the top of the cliff. The little house was still there, but the cobbled roof showed weariness as it tried to withstand storms. The window shutters creaked with the wind, and the moss and vines that climbed and decorated the walls added to the sepia effect this house emanated. Then just a few meters away from the house were the unending blue and white brushes of the waves. It was perfect, thought Sakura. They'd live atop this cliff in a distant shore, in this bittersweet home.

Everyday she'd wake up to the sea and in his arms. She could see white cloth and laundry hang up to dry on the east. Maybe a vegetable patch opposite to it. And a flower box aligning the entrance of the house.

The yard was large enough to run around. She blushed at the thought of it. That's really silly. They just arrived and she was already thinking of babies.

Sasuke hopped out of the carriage, she followed. Together, they dismounted the boxes and packages from the trailer in total silence for she was still smarting from having been reminded of his departure so long ago.

Since their reunion, they weren't able to talk about it. She had a lot of questions for him, yet she deemed it best not to ask. Perhaps someday she would.

Inside, she opened the windows with care and dusted the old cabinets and swept the floor. Sasuke moved the moth-eaten sofa to the yard for air-drying. The little house was made of bricks, quite sturdy for typhoons and daily ocean breeze. But the damp air allowed for molds to inhabit the walls.

They arrived a little after lunch, and they were cleaning until sunset. Before it went dark, Sasuke retrieved their oil lamps for lighting and built a fire using his katon. He cooked stewed vegetables and grilled their last chop of pork. Once dinner was ready, he called for Sakura who was still busying herself with arrangements inside.

The two ate, watching the bonfire sway furiously against the wind. She still refused to talk to him; instead, she seemed to be in deep thought. He didn't start a conversation, though, since he never would. After that, they cleaned a bit, washed the dishes with their stored water supply. Water source would still have to be resolved in the coming days, maybe there's a well nearby, or might as well make one if water underground were available.

Sasuke laid out their futon in the newly dusted floor, but Sakura was not coming in. He'd might as well sleep first and not wait for her since this whole day was tiring. But he found her lack of interaction disturbing, and it bothered him that she might do something reckless.

Thus, he went outside, and saw Sakura sitting on the brink, her legs bravely hanging by the edge of the cliff.

"Oi, come inside," he sternly commanded as soon as he was behind her.

"Mmm," she nodded her head; but a few moments after, she never made a move to stand.

"It's too cold out here; come inside," he repeated. Sasuke was about to turn around and head back, as he hated being pushy to someone who wouldn't listen if he wouldn't be using force, but she spoke.

"Do you think we'll be safe here, Sasuke?" When he didn't answer, she continued. "It's been too long since the ambush, and we've never encountered anyone on our trail. Do you think they've left us alone, or will they be doing a surprise attack?"

"I haven't let my guard down since then, but I sense nothing off."

"What about Madara? He made war with you as one of his trump cards; surely he wouldn't let you go so easily."

"Don't worry about that."

She finally turned around. "Seriously, Sasuke, we need a plan. Now that we're settled here, we're easy targets."

"I said don't worry about it. We'll make a plan tomorrow. For now, let's go back inside, it's cold here."

However, Sakura just stared back at him with confusion. "That's not like you to be laid back, especially when you're faced with people coming after you."

"What are you talking about? I've been cautious since the ambush," he retorted. "Besides, the Alliance has their hands full, they're fighting Madara, Edo Tensei, that Kabuto and the Jinchuuriki. They can't afford to pull out even one ANBU to track some shinobi who pose no more threat to them."

The girl sighed and looked back to the dark seas, prompting her knees up to hug it to her chest. "I guess you're right."

"Come on, let's get some rest."

"Sasuke, what do you think Naruto's doing now?"

"…"

"I wonder how he took everything in."

"…"

"Maybe I was expecting too much from him. He went on all ends for you; yet when it was I who disappeared, I just thought he'd do the same for me."

* * *

><p>But little did Sakura know how much Naruto tried. Just as how he had been fond of doing, he had tried to take the responsibility of Sakura's actions; had blamed himself of not putting sense into Sasuke's head fast enough to make her smile again that she resorted to running away with him; even killing a shinobi to have her way. As consequence, he was reduced to a prisoner in maximum security.<p>

Just before Tsunade announced Sakura's crimes to the greater Alliance, she sent for Naruto and Kakashi first. Her eyes were dark and puffy and her hair was in disarray. Naruto had not taken any notice of her mangy self-presentation, for he had seen her always with face fresh from lack of sleep and even saw her in worse. But he did find her hesitation to speak somewhat irritating.

"You know, Tsunade-baa-chan, we don't have all day staring at each other. We have a war to win."

"Naruto…" Kakashi warned.

But he was growing rather impatient. "I'll take that Hokage seat from you anytime with you stammering like stupid on some announcement."

"Read the mood, baka!" nudged Kakashi beside him. The Hokage just glared at him. How do you break suck a news, anyway? Nowhere had she been taught how to make an announcement about how her student, her daughter, was now an international criminal for crimes she had done for love! Not when Tsunade, herself, was struggling to let the news sink in first.

When finally she had blurted the most euphemized and appropriate words out, while gulping waves of tears down, Naruto advanced at her, just short of flying.

In a blur, he was on top of her and his left hand gripped her neck and his right pointed at her with a kunai.

"What the fuck are you saying so early in the morning!"

"Naruto…" Kakashi reprimanded again, coolly. His stance was laidback and his hands were tucked in his pockets. But his face was stern and his eyes were in a quiet rage glaring at the leader sprawled helplessly on the floor.

"Explain yourself!" Instead, the Hokage just closed her eyes to spare herself from seeing the pain in Naruto's whole being, the hurt of being left behind again. She hid her tears just as well.

It was only when Shizune barged into the room to check the commotion that Naruto finally walked away and left Kakashi to confront the situation.

He tried, of course, to follow Sakura, to bring her back, or hear her side of the story. But the Hokage had anticipated this, ordering for ANBU to tail Naruto and capture him should he get past the Alliance's territories. They didn't, however, noticed the Kage Bunshin that Naruto had slyly activated when he and all others had turned around and went back to camp.

Under the orders of the Hokage, Naruto would be under lock and key, in maximum security, for an indefinite time, and Naruto was highly needed in the battlefield. But the news of Sakura's departure and her pending case had taken any reason for Naruto to fight.

He wanted nothing more but to check up on her, see to her and know the reasons why Sasuke would even quit the fight and retire with her.

He wanted nothing more but to chase after them, demand why they have to go without asking if he'd like to come. For he would have wanted nothing more than to have all three of them partners again.

On and on and on, the clone ran, endlessly through canopies and cliffs and hills. It was nearing dusk when he sensed a bit of their chakra signatures. Fifty mils after, it was already dark and on a clearing he found a small bonfire lit. Beside it were Sasuke and Sakura just finishing dinner.

It was a harmless sight. Sakura leaned forward into the fire, hugging her knees as Sasuke took their plate away. A moment later, Naruto, behind a tree concealing his presence, saw Sasuke return beside her with two blankets. He then, wrapped her in one and scooted to the tree just inches beside her.

In a while, just when Sasuke was about to fall asleep, her head fell to rest on his out-stretched lap. Naruto continued to watch as Sasuke watched pink hair sprawled across his legs. It was as if Naruto had been transported in another universe in another dimension.

The vulnerability in her face, the gentleness in his eyes. It was serene, and was just too good to be true. There was simply no chance that the man Sakura was with that time was Uchiha Sasuke.

Or, could it really be that these two were in love? That it was enough for them to turn their backs away from all the chaos? That Uchiha Sasuke, himself, retired from an unfinished vengeance and be in love with her?

There was sadness in her, tears flowing down her face. And Sasuke knew this, but he could only watch her from behind as he let her grief take her to sleep.

This was, in Naruto's opinion, Sasuke's way of caring. This was, Naruto knew from the depths of his soul, his own defeat.

He felt all sorts of emotions at one time: hope for Sasuke's redemption, bittersweet happiness for Sakura's heart, envy for this newfound life he was not a part of, and a painful tug in his heart which reminded him once more that it was Sasuke, only Sasuke, Sakura would always choose.

But in silence, Naruto retreated, even when he wanted nothing more but to demand from them. In the end, everything that mattered to him was never reciprocated. From Sasuke, from Sakura. But he felt no strength to complain. He could be a friend to both of them.

Still, it was just too painful.

For days, weeks, Naruto allowed the guards to lock him up in that dingy isolation room. After all, all his resolve to fight had vanished. It was all confusion he felt right now. He couldn't even decide whether to feel betrayed to what his two best friends had done. For now, all he knew was that he'd be willing to give up this war, even being Hokage, just to have them back with him – or have him into their world.

Uzumaki Naruto was just selfish like that.

Only when his sensei fnally visited did he have his senses back.

"I don't know why Sasuke would do something like this," he started. "But if it was with Sakura, this might be a good thing, right? It means we haven't lost Sasuke in his own darkness.

"So stop your sulking. The world needs you right now. We will fight for Sakura once this war is over. In the meantime, we will let her fight for Sasuke."

* * *

><p>Just a little bit of getting used to was all Haruno Sakura needed with regard to living with Uchiha Sasuke. Talking to herself most of the time, and being answered with only 'hn' and 'aa' was something she had relearned from the past. Eating so much tomatoes and onigiri than usual was quite tolerable. But waking up beside him was just too ethereal.<p>

"Good morning," she would say, smiling at hi sleepy face.

"Aa," he would murmur, restling deeper into her neck.

She would turn around to hide that violent blush, only to have him hug her tightly out of impulse. At the rate her heart was going, she would definitely, definitely die of lightness in his arms.

A little bit later, once she had calmed herself down, Sakura would roll out of the futon they laid on the floor and exit into the kitchen.

"Coffee…" he would call out in an unrecognizable voice.

"Wake up, Sasuke," would be her only response. She would always wait for him to follow her; but in the end, she would make him a cup, intense black and no sweets, which she would bring in bed.

She would leave it beside his head, just outside the futon, to tease his senses to awaken.

"Come on Uchiha. Breakfast in ten."

This was also one of those things she had to get used to. She had known Sasuke as a disciplined shinobi all her life. All those times they were on a mission together, he would wake up first, then she would follow; Naruto always being the last. First thing Sasuke would grab was a shuriken and a large rock from outside he utilized to sharpen his blades.

Next up, he would already be somewhere practicing chakra concentration or his Uchiha flame or just simple workout to keep his body moving.

Sakura would always watch him train before training herself. Kakashi-sensei had gone off elsewhere and be back always late for mission.

And yet, Sasuke now had not even held a kunai except when he used his sword to cut wood.

"Hey, let's train tomorrow," Sakura offered one day as they sat down to dinner.

He just, however, stared blankly as though deducing silently whether she was joking or testing him.

"Come on, my body's sore doing light chores. I need a heavy workout."

Still he didn't say anything.

"You can show me how superior your new eyes are. Maybe they're not so superior to mine after all," she teased.

"Baka."

She knew that was all it takes to make him agree: hurt his Uchiha pride. For the next day, they did train, just around their backyard.

Taijutsu was their first, and Sakura was loving this very opportunity to show her improved skills and talents off. In the beginning, he was clearly taking her lightly, until she sprang at him with a surprising speed that disrupted his foot movements. This resulted to an opening and a direct hit to his stomach.

"Gah!" Sasuke rolled onto the rocks, before spitting out some blood. He had that look as though he hadn't recognized her at all.

"Get up. I'll fix that boo-boo later," commanded Sakura, a condescending tone of pride in her voice and her stance.

After that, he took her seriously and with much caution. Sasuke learned that her best vantage point was in close proximity. He unsheathed his katana to strike at her, but she blocked him with a kunai. She was on the defensive at one point but she shifted her footing and assailed with just one kunai against a katana. From time to time, she flicked some senbon at him, only he was too skilled in sword fighting to outwit her.

However, it was just like the first time they fought again during that fateful night of his failed ambush attempt. Her progress in combat never ceased to astonish him. She was weak with weapons, though, since her best tool was her fist. And Sasuke tried hard to avoid that.

When they grew tired of taijutsu, Sakura insisted on seeing his new eyes. She had witnessed Susano'o first hand, but was very much interested to see the others.

In the end, Sasuke declined. It was not wise to test it on her, was what she said.

Trainings became a once-a-week habit. She had learned much with Sasuke's guidance. In turn, he had learned much about her it could be the death of her.

Meals were the most fascinating and chores were the best when it was Sasuke who did most of them. They took turns cooking, yet even when it was Sakura's time to prepare, it was imperative to have Sasuke's favorite thngs: ripe tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grilled tomatoes, salted tomatoes, or onigiri with sundried tomatoes.

His skills at cooking could be accounted for to having been forced to grow up at such a tender age of seven. She felt bittersweet at this thought. He was a darling in the kitchen.

Nights were just the sweetest. Like mornings, every evening spent with Sasuke was a reality she had never imagined possible. It continuously bewildered to muse on whatever good she did to deserve something like this.

For settling down with Sasuke, just weeks after arriving to this worn-down cottage, made her forget everything she had been before elopement. For she had chosen happiness and chosen him, rather than beating herself up with guilt and feeling remorseful of Naruto's absence.

Instead, she drowned herself with his kisses, drawn strength frm his arms and slept in bliss against his chest.

One afternoon, two months after running away, they were outside under a tree, just killing time after a busy morning of general cleaning,

Sasuke's back was against the tree while Sakura laid her head on his lap again. She had caught the habit of doing that lately. Because when he thought she was in deep slumber, his hands would play with his hair. She didn't know if he was aware of doing it, but it seemed as though Sasuke had caught the habit of doing this as well.

It was nearing sunset when suddenly Sakura felt strange. Something evil was brewing somewhere so strong that it reached the depths of her soul.

The moment she opened her eyes and pulled herself up, twirls of chakra came spinning in front of them. Later, a masked man was revealed with eyes of the two most powerful doujutsu, visible from behind the mask.

"Sasuke!" she gasped, reaching out to grip his hand beside her.

"Hn, took you long enough," Sasuke calmly said, still drowsy from the afternoon nap.

"How am I supposed to know where you went, you brat. And I thought I ordered you to kill her?"

"Aa. I did much better than that." Confused, Sakura looked back and what she saw smothered all the hope in her.

Ssuke's eyes were dark, hatred and power emanating from them that she immediately pulled her had back. He was the same Sasuke who laughed maniacally as he vowed to massacre the whole of Konoha.

"Sasuke…." He shifted his gaze from Tobi to her, and simply smirked.

Sakura jumped anew as the masked man roared in amusement. "You, Sasuke, you are truly more sinister than I am."

Sasuke's stare took out the air from her lungs, love from her heart and the soul from her being. She gripped her chest to keep herself from breaking, and even before her mind tried to process whatever it was that's happening, she willed herself not to cry.

Her body finally realized danger, and so she fled. As fast as she could. And when she fell from the stiffness of her legs, she'd crawl, anything just to get away.

It was no looking back; and yet nowhere to go.

"Clean your mess up, Sasuke," ordered Tobi. "We'd have problems later with that medic still alive."

Sasuke stood and walked towards the house in resignation. "Leave her. She's of no threat to us or to anyone anymore. I've destroyed her alliances. Her life is ruined."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Ooops! Late! :3

**Chapter Title Reference**: **Sugarcoats and Heartbeats** by **UpDharma Down**

Enjoy~ :3


	5. Delilah

_**Chapter 5: Delilah**_

* * *

><p>Brows knitted tightly across his pensive, brooding face as Uchiha Sasuke contemplated on the earlier events that transpired in this very house. It was now sometime past midnight, though he wasn't sure. All he knew was that it was already dark and it had been hours since she fled; like a pitiful, scared prey defenseless against a hunter eager for a game.<p>

It was quite a good show; he played a good act. In the end, he won a good fight. As expected of the Uchiha.

Who would have thought that a simple assassination of the pink-haired medic nin, whom he was confident he could have defeated with his eyes closed, had turned into a theatrical episode of laborious disguise and damn lot acting skills Sasuke never knew he had. With all the effort he had poured into this plan, he could have wiped down an Alliance colony or two.

But his defeat during that night of the assassination, as she wittingly shed him off of all his defenses, left him bitter and vengeful. While she held a puny kunai against his neck and a glowing palm against his eyes, threatening to pluck his eyes out, he could only think of that smitten little girl of twelve. He remembered the tears as she called out to him as he walked towards the gates of Konohagakure; confessions were laid, and her life offered up to him.

In that fight he was losing in such an embarrassing way, he suddenly felt triumph. His eyes were covered with her palm, and he knew only one way to soften this determined kunoichi.

"If you had been this skillful before, I would've taken you with me," he mumbled, lips curved for a bitter smile.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she retorted, digging the kunai deep almost enough to crush his throat.

It was a gamble. If he would die there, then that's too bad. It was pretty much his fault for underestimating his enemy. But one last strategy wouldn't hurt. He'd risk it; if he'd win against her, if he'd get back at her, then her bitter tears would be a good enough consolation for this disgrace she made him endure.

"Then I wouldn't have been worried for your wellbeing," he continued. He was only regretful that he couldn't see how her face had distorted from his words. It must have been a wonderful sight. But she had drained him of chakra that Sharingan could no longer be activated.

"I would have wanted you to come, Sakura. But the path I've chosen wouldn't have suited you."

Sasuke had felt the hesitation in her hands. Just seconds earlier, he was on the brink of death. But now, she spared her few seconds more all to hear what he wanted to say. His speculations were correct: she was weak. And the one reason for her weakness was her unrequited love only for him.

"But still, maybe the path to darkness would have been all worth taking had you been with me," If only Sakura had been thinking straight then, if only Sakura meant her actions as she dropped the kunai and rid of the chakra palm and strangled the Uchiha's neck with her bare hands, then she would have killed him and have done the Shinobi World a great service. If only she had discerned his words, she would realize that those were words an Uchiha Sasuke would never utter to someone whom he never cared for.

She continued to crush his neck; she could hear him choke on his spit. She wanted to make him stop saying anything more that could break her resolve and eventually break her. However, she was having her own inner battles, of hopes that if she would allow it, she might turn him into a renewed man.

In desperation, he had done her a great damage when he reached out to touch her face. This time, he was able to watch her as her eyes filled her face and surprise took her away. His fingers caressed her cheeks lovingly that she couldn't help but close her eyes to feel.

"Stop it," she weakly pleaded, fighting back tears and gripping her hands more fiercely.

"S-sakura. T-thank you." This was his winning piece. To seal his fate, he struggled to sit up despite her weight on his chest. He pulled her head down a bit to meet his, with no difficulty doing so.

That was their very first kiss.

He tasted her lips, her tears that finally spilled from her tired eyes. In spite of him, she tasted the sweetest. Was it his victory he was licking from her tongue? Or was it simply her soul he had acquired; no, she had willingly offered.

Little by little, Sakura loosened her vice-like grip around his wounded throat. And little by little, as the kiss deepened, she had brought her guard down.

With only a few words and a kiss, Uchiha Sasuke had undone Haruno Sakura; he would continue doing so. Perchance, he had been doing once and always.

For months they continued this rendezvous. Honestly, he would have had a better chance of winning the war had he attacked Naruto or annihilated some troops. But aside from vengeance for trampling over his pride, he drew entertainment from watching her resolution crumble as he twirled her around his fingers.

That fight with the ANBU, he did a great job pretending to lose just so he could make her kill the high-ranked shinobi in her name. She was then proclaimed an international criminal, nowhere to be but with him.

Now, as she learned how Uchiha Sasuke fucked her and fucked with her life, as she fled earlier today, he couldn't help but cry out an evil laugh. Her face, he remembered mockingly, her face was pained and full of distraught. How beautiful it was as it twisted with various emotions. He wondered what she could have been thinking then.

It wouldn't be a surprise if he happened to stumble upon her carcass somewhere floating in the ocean or just hanging under a tree. Though, if she was miraculously still alive, he doubted that he'd ever see her again. At least any time soon.

Still, he wished for her good luck as he darkly chuckled. He'd be very much curious as to what she'd do next.

And so, midnight passed with Uchiha Sasuke staring back at the dark living room he had forgotten, or probably hadn't bothered, lit up since dusk. He didn't realize he had been in that same position, seemingly in a trance or simply spirited away, when there was a soft and sudden knock on his front door.

Immediately, his defenses were activated, and his eyes whirling with chakra. At the other side of the door, he could clearly make out a silhouette of none other than the girl whose heart he had broken for a thousandth time tonight. She was fiddling and the aura around her was a mess.

He was wary, of course, as his eyes narrowed to scan every bit of her body of anything suspicious. What could she be up to now? But with her current disposition and state of mind, he doubted that she was here to challenge him, much less kill him.

When he didn't answer her knock or ordered her to come in, she continued to knock once until finally turning the knob to open.

In the darkness, her heart almost leapt up to her throat for it was only his bloodshot eyes she could she. Within moments, she had regained her composure, yet still rather shaky and hesitant.

"I, Sasuke, I've c-come –"

"For your things?" he interrupted, with all the hate he could muster at the weakness she was shamelessly exhibiting. "You know where to find them."

"No, Sasuke." She paused, as though contemplating, and then carried on. "I came back. I've come to stay with you."

She was no longer looking at him, but instead down at her toes, and she very well should be. Sasuke had almost blurted out his own gasp of surprise, but had controlled his nerves enough to keep calm. He was no longer cautious of her plans, only a little bit remembering how she had pledged to be an ally only with plans to kill him, too. That was almost a year ago.

But clearly, as he watched her in her helpless, pathetic modality, plus the fact that her life was ruined and had nowhere else to go, he was sure, so sure it made him sick just by looking at her, that she was indeed sincere in her want to stay with him.

"Please, Sasuke, let me stay," pleaded Sakura. "Only for a month, if you want, until I know what to do next. Until I'm up on my feet again."

Up on your feet? He thought darkly. She could only be back to her own feet if she denounce the life of a shinobi and live as a vendor or a maid somewhere. If he'd give her money now, would she go away and leave? Be on her feet again in less than a month.

Oh, the thought only made Sasuke laugh. He didn't expect such lowly attempts from the acclaimed medical ninja, the favorite apprentice of the Fifth Hokage herself, the very woman who had almost taken his life. Had she any pride at all?

"Don't you even consider what I've done to you?" he spat, unable to keep himself from asking his most curious question.

"I…" Sakura shook her head. "Yes, I was hurt and now in pain. But I deserve it. If this was Kami-sama's punishment for my treachery against the Alliance and my blindness towards you, then yes, I'll take it, swallow it whole, accept it as if it was my own death." Her face was stern with determination, her eyes blurry with tears, but her shoulders shook that it might break her any minute longer.

She was indeed determined to spend another month with Sasuke, who had betrayed her, to punish herself. But beneath it all, he could see that her love for him had corrupted her and stripped her off of any self-respect.

This woman was even more fallible than he had ever imagined. To make matters worse, she slowly walked towards him and knelt, with everything before him a homage made flesh. She knelt with all her being laid out and offered up to him. She begged, naked from any education, pride or instincts, to stay with him, if not forever, then at least for a while.

He was dumbstricken. Was this also another trick to play with his head? Were the gods annoying him further with uselessness of people around him? Or was this, from the depths of his darkened soul, another gift from the devil, something to lighten up his bland life of revenge and suffering. Could it be that she was destined after all to be his trophy for something he must have done to please the odds and all divine beings?

This woman, with all her hair sprawled on the floor, with her lips possibly kissing the cold ground, he would accept.

Finally, he moved from having been sitting for hours in that stiff old sofa and leaned forward. His hand outstretched to take her head and his fingers touched her chin to gaze at her beautiful overwrought face. His breath cut short from his lungs as she looked up at him with glimmering eyes full of pain and heartache. Her vulnerability had taken him in waves of emotions, too massive he couldn't understand. He looked at her, and then he'd want her.

She was a nymph, out of the mist, who'd sing to him and entrance him; a temptress, created only to pleasure him; a child, so innocent and pure worthy of crossing boundaries just to consume him.

She was, said a whisper somewhere from the depths of his darkened soul, his very own weakness. Someone who'd blind him, strip him off his reasons, only to satisfy him with unforgettable bliss.

Yes, if she wasn't asking for anything more than just a roof over her head and a commodity to last her for a while, then yes he'd take her in. In return, she'd hold him nights after nights after a day of battle.

She had created insatiable longing from him; she then had to sustain him.

Enthralled and in luxuria, his body moved on its own and his lips craved to taste her skin. As he did, her eyes grew to fill her face. He searched for her lips with his own, and in the darkness he found himself kneeling on the floor in front of her. His palms cupped her cheeks and drew her in. He had to lean back to the foot of the sofa, in order to keep his body from limping; she rested her torso towards him.

This had been their exercise, their ritual, their links to one another for months now. They had learned of each other's crests, crevices, freckles. Her breath was his soothing camellia that drove his senses away; in turn, his hands were magic that took her away. She kissed him deeply, as though thanking him for his generosity and his unspoken love. He could feel her body writhed above him, wanting him as much as he did.

The events of yesterday had long been forgotten as he had touched her. His neck craned to take in as much of her, and his body twisted to embrace her. Gods, he wanted her, so much so that this woman must now be marked with his own blood; his teeth dug deep into her skin, engraving his being into every piece of her. She muffled a painful scream as his palm locked her open lips in. Her tongue traced the deep lines drawn in his calloused palm, tickling him, teasing him to do more than just soft ministrations.

Sasuke pulled her in, making her sit on his lap and both knees on either side of his waist. Sakura could feel nothing more but flame igniting her nerves as his hands roamed to feel her. Her back arched as she felt him underneath her shirt. Her breasts tingled as his face came to caress them. His lips were kissing her with the only gentleness she had ever experience; and as she lunged her tongue to taste him, reciprocate his feverish yet tender assault, she willed her tears from falling from her eyes.

If only the gods had been kind enough to grant her his love, instead of his betrayal. If only she was truly weak enough to surrender to his kisses. If only she had accepted the fact that her body had become his very own weakness as something close enough to loving her. If only he hadn't ruined her, then perhaps she would've given her everything once more as she kissed him with feigned fervor.

She kept herself in check from falling into his tempting abyss, battling with her body while he touched in places that made her yearn for him. He was an incredible lover; she'd lower her walls the instant he touched her. She'd lay her life for him the moment he screamed her name.

But this time, it was different. She plunged in for a final kiss, before she could whisper words of love as she usually did when on the brink of her rhapsodic delight. He was about to take her clothes off, but she pushed his hands away. Instead, she mustered all her being and cupped his face in her hands and closed her eyes for moments that was too long for a kiss, it rendered both of them breathless and bewildered.

Before she lost herself in another round of his carnal play, Sakura pulled her feet near and slyly taking something inserted in her sandals while busying him with his lust.

Back when she had planned to kill him, back when she had lied to Naruto that he loved him instead of Sasuke, she went home feeling like a fool for hesitating on killing him. Back when she had fought him during his failed assassination and she had the upper hand, she came undone once again and left everything behind to be with him instead.

But today, no more hesitations; her mind was firm, her heart was thrown away. Before her was her enemy and there were no reasons not to kill him. As Sasuke played with her body, as his kisses left trails of passion and her body still responsive to him, Haruno Sakura made no further flurry and struck a poisoned needle upon his vulnerable neck.

Sasuke could only grunt a hiss, thinking it was her nail that pricked him, as she was fond of doing, before realizing that she had injected poison deep into his aorta.

"What the fuck!" Instantly, Sakura leapt backwards, to a distance that was far enough for him to grab her. Sasuke pulled the needle out, attempting to prevent any more damage. "What the fuck was that!" He tried to stand, but half of his body was already frozen in place. The weight his body now unable to support caused him to fall flat against the ground.

Sakura exhaled a lungful of air she didn't realize she was holding, and looked back at him with a victorious smile. "You have been poisoned, Sasuke-kun, that would not kill you, at least not immediately," she narrated. "But it will weaken your organs and even you precious eyes. Eventually, your body will disintegrate before you even realize you're rotting from inside."

The early rays of dawn came trickling through their window, as though to magnify her epic triumph over this evil man. "But all of it will happen in a year's time, at least. You have all the time to search for a cure, be all over the place desperate for it. But you will never find one."

Energy rushed through her, and words of hate came out of her mouth, like it was the best thing that ever happened to her. She continued to explain the details of the poison to him, as if she were a witch pronouncing a curse upon the prince. "I have created this venom, and it is only through me that you'd be cured. In time, you will look for me. And if you do, if ever you do, you shall need me, beg for me, plead on your knees for your own life. Then I would be there to reject you, push you away so you could die and go to hell!"

With the littlest of strength that left him now, he took the needle and threw it at her, with all her might. Of course, the trajectory was off that it landed faintly inches from her. "Bitch!" he shouted.

"Don't worry, the paralysis is only temporary. You'd be back to your normal self in a few hours; but the poison has already take effect. Also, you can't afford to kill me. It'd kill you if you do."

"You fucking bitch!" he screamed, over and over, while Sakura turned to the door and finally out of the house. Outside, her eyes squinted as the sunrise blinded her, showing her a beautiful view she had once been grateful for every morning. She could still hear Sasuke's bloodcurdling screams from behind, but she pushed on.

It was quite a good show; she played a good act. In the end, she won a good fight. It was an unexpected successful ending of a lifelong struggle against Uchiha Sasuke.

But she knew it was far from over.

As the early sun painted crimson and orange across the sky, as the waves clashed with the rock from meters below the beloved cliff she had grown to love, she turned to the path that led down the hill, with tears now streaming like hot lava she had prevented from falling ever since she knocked on the hollow wooden door of their worn-out little cottage by the sea.

* * *

><p><em>Could not once blinding me, cruel, suffice?<em>_  
><em>_When first I look'd on thee, I lost mine eyes._

**Divine Epigrams: Samson to his Delilah, Richard Crashaw**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Thank you for all the reviews and faves. This is, I think, my favorite SasuSaku chapter ever. Please, tell me what you think! I'm very excited to have finally written this since the conception of _Between the Shadow and the Soul_.

To all, who have been wondering, I assure you that this will not end tragically, but they will both suffer tragedy. Neither Sakura nor Sasuke will die at the end of this fic. I promise. But heads shall roll! :3

Your thoughts, very much welcome! Happy SasuSaku month everyone!

~enjoy! :3


End file.
